KYRA'S FATE.
BY CHARLES GARVICK, ' Author of " Maida," " With All Her Heart," At Love's Cost," " Love, the Tyrant," " The Shadow of Her Life," " A Heri- ; tage of Hate," " Just a Girl," "In .Cupid's Chains." etc.. etc.
- V ; CHAPTER XVlT.—(Continued.) John* stopped and stood waiting, his pipe—: long since out—clenched in his hand ; ?nd Bessie stood; the picture of distress. • - For she knew that so much of what lie had said was true. They had been friends from childhood; she knew that he had loved her from even more early, days; he was as holiest as the day, and lie. would do his best to -make her ■ happy. i Young and inexperienced as she was, she knew with that intuition which is-woman's birthright, that if she could accept him she would be doing wisely. *; Butah, gentle reader, there is generally a ' but" in ,'ill such calculations!as she . looked at ' him with atimid, sideway glance, and noted his.honest,. good-looking face, the huge, sinewy aim, bare to the elbow, the great strong hands, there rose before her, totally eclipsing him, the thin, " gentlemanly" form, and sallow, romantic face of Mr. Black.; and her simple heart wavered and turned away from the man who had been her lover since childhood's days. . < . , vi " I'm very sorry, John," she faltered. . "Sorry?" he echoed, with a kind of dull start. . " You mean— don't mean—V" •»h*" Yes, I do,' John. -It • can't, be. I'm— oh, I've not thought of being married —" " But you're grown up," he said, persuasively. " Why, Lor ! it's nigh upon three years since you've had your hair up." " Three years come next Christmas," Raid Bessie, absently. "I don't mean that. P'r'aps I am old enough .to. think of such things; but, John, I never thought— You said we had been such friends, you know. I'd no idea that— you regarded me in that light." "Oh, Bessie, Bessie!" "And—and I'm sure it wouldn't do. Why, we've been almost like brother and sister—" " Not me," said John, thickly. " I've always looked forward to the time when you'd be my wife." , She shook her head. "I'm sorry, real sorry, John; but, oh! it couldn't be. I—l don't care for you— least not in that way. ' . iV;" How long since?" he asked. . "You used not to mind when I called you my .little wife." ' / : . " " That was when I was a child," she pleaded. : " Who thinks of what children say? They don't mean anything." '•" I. meant it," he said, doggedly. " But I see how it is, Bessie. Times has altered ; there's others. You've changed to me lately—ever since—" - *. He stopped, as if half afraid to voice his dread suspicion.
"Ever since what?" demanded Bessie, with a red spot on either cheek. And, if John had been a wise man, he would have dropped the conversation, closed the interview there and then, and marched back to his work, to wait for a; more convenient and more • auspicious opportunity. - But when was a man in love wise? Not since the time of Adam, who accepted a, bite of the fatal apple;-and, of course, John went on. <, Since that Mr. Black earned here," he said, looking over her head into space, with a darkening eye. _ The blood rushed to Bessie's face, then left it all the paler for its transient visit. What lias Mr. Black to do with- it . she said, with unnatural calm. " Seems to me he has got a good deal to do. with it; seems to me lie, lias come atween you an' me, Bessie," said John, the bronchial affection attacking him again and making his voice thick, and morose. " Don't say that he hasn't, for I've noticed the change in you ever since he took to coming here. I noticed how. much store you set upon his visits , "Oh!" broke in Bessie, with a. note of indignant question in her clear voice. " So I can't lie civil to an old friend of my father's" ' ■■'
— I'm an old friend of your father's,' John reminded her in a sullen way." " And you never made the fuss over me as you've made over, him. And then he went," he continued, as if he were mentally following a panorama, " and you changed again and was more friendly with me, and then the other night, the night you'd promised to go to. the play with me,, lie come back and' you went back on your promise." , " I offered to go with you even, then," said Bessie, crimsoning, but evading his honest, anguished eyes. 1 " Yes, you did in a fashion. But Tin a man, though I'm in love with you, Bessie ; and I didn't take an advantage. And then, •as I was waiting outside the Grand I saw you—and him—comin' ; down ; the Highstreet, a-smilin' as if—as if— Oh, Bessie, what does it mean? , Do 'ee listen to me as loves the very ground you walks on! What do you , know of this—Mr. Black? He wears a black coat—he's a swell, if you likebut what do you know of him— ; " He's—— old friend of my father's," faltered Bessie. " He's a—a gentleman, and you ought to be ashamed of yourself, John, to—to— behind his back—" ■• ■; ; "I don't go behind his back. I'd say the same to his face.; A gentleman,. is lie? Well, then, what's lie doin' here in White Horse Lane? It ain't no place for gentlemen. We're all liard-workin', honest, folk down here; your father's a 'oss-dealer, and I'm a carpenter, and you're his daughter. This ain't no place for gentlemen. Besides,, who says lie's one? He's dressy and lardy-dardy in his ways; but I ain't > sure that he's the real" thing. P'r'aps I don't know; but I do. know, I feel, that lie's after.no good" , • •"J At this moment a. cab drove up to the archway, and Bessie crimsoned to the roots of her golden hair. Mr. Black had.alighted and was paying the driver. "Then you'd abetter . tell > him so." she said, -'almost viciously; "for here: is Mr. Black." ■ John swung round and surveyed, with a strange mixture of sorrow and foreboding,' the frock-coated"' figure. as it came slowly across the yard. "Yes; here he is him - that's come between us. . God forgive me if .I've wronged him in thought and estimate; but I have made my estimate. . And, Bessie, no, : you needn't) look i scared, I'm * not going to pick a quarrel with him—though I could knock the sawdust out of the fine gentleman but— if ever you should learn the truth about him, if ever you should want a friend—" Bessie—her eyes shilling, her cheeks radiant, with a blush for .the coming Mr. Black—broke hi upon the deep voice: "You talk like a man, in a play, John! If you've anything to say to Mr. Black you'd best say it to •him to his face. How, do you do, Mr. Black? This is an old friend of ours, Mr. John Warden." , Stracey raised his hat and smiled, and John touched his -paper-cap and frowned. He also opened his mouth; but, as if he \ had thought better of it, he closed his lips again and strode back across the yard to his workshop. ■ I Stracey did not appear to notice John's or Bessie's agitation, which latter was i quickly dispelled by the magic of "Mr. | Black's" presence. He did not seem at all j disappointed at hearing that her father was not in yet, and he took his accustomed j chair and talked to her, while she moved I to and fro or paused to lean over the back of a. chair with her hands clasped loosely. I Stracey thought her prettier than ever I that afternoon ; perhaps he guessed why, she looked so happy and as if the sunshine were | reflected in her blue eyes. He talked < f I himselfhe could not have chosen a more welcome and agreeable subject- for Bessie I and told her how he was acting as London j agent for several Continental merchants, whose acquaintance lie had made during his travels, and he implied that he .was successful and getting on in the world. " It must be so delightful to travel, to see foreign places and people!" Bessie remarked, with a wistful, little sigh. " I often feel as - old as Methuselah here in the yard, and as if I didn't know anything. Not that I'm not fond enough of 'it— oh, yes, indeed I I am! I love every inch of ,it, and if anyone j-told me that I was going to leave it and never come back I should break my heart ; but when I think of all those beautiful I places you've seen and talk about, why, it ' does seem as if— if I'd like to .'see them for myself." ! _ "Perhaps you may some day, Miss Bessie," lie said in his soft, ingratiatory voice. " It's not very likely," she remarked, with a pout. " Oil, I don't know. One never knows what the future may hold for one," he said, with a smile, " Perhaps you may see Paris and Berlin and Rome, like the rest of us." •" Oh } if 1 con Id. think so!" she muttered, drawing a- long breath. " But - how— satisfied and happy you must feel, Mr.;' Black, having travelled so much!" It was Stracey's turn to sigh, and he heav- • ed a long and deep one as he "responded : " Oh, I don't know. 1 often feel very lonely in the solitude of mv rooms in Gray's Inn ! . and they are very solitary and dull. Sometimes I don't know what to do with myself, the time hangs so , heavy on my hands. T.can't tell you how grateful I 'am to you— your father—for ■ all owing; me to come and see you ; us I used in the old times." "Allowing"vou !" murmured Bessie. "I hope you know.ithat I—father— always glad to see you." ' ; ' ; - •'■■■ ■ " 1 : " Thank you, very much!" ; he said,/ soft- • ly. "But my visit's : here only make tiie solitude of my rooms seem more, intense and intolerable.',' Bessie coloured with pleasure, and left her unconscious pose over the chair to see to the, five in the next room, where the kettle was singing blithely. His solitude ; did he mean anything by it? Oh, how glad, how proud she would be to share his "solitude, to* share his whole life, whether it were of joy or sorrow, of failure or success, of poverty or riches ! : Straoey/smiled to himself/ and lit a cigarette when she had gone—smoking was de rigueur at all times at Mr. Nolly's abode— and, thought how pretty she was, and how really well she would look, say, at a bache-lor-dinner or smoking-party in a snug little villa in St. John's Wood. She came back presently—very soon, in-, deed—and the conversation was resumed. Without saying so in so many words, without, in fact, committing himself in any way, Stracey, .with an art which would have received recognition in Hades, led the innocent, unsophisticated Bessie to believe that lie had been thinking of her since his last visit, and that, if ever lie should seek a companion for his solitude, he would seek her in White Horse Lane.' And it was high art, art. of the very highestor deepest. Listen to him, as lie draws the picture of life in Paris : , .. .< ' " It- is a city as beautiful as a'dream, Miss Bessie. ' All the public buildings are . of white stone; and the streets, broad and long, are lined with trees, such trees as you do not see in England. And there are squares and terraces, with fountains' playing on them—not at odd times, as they do in Xralfalgar Square, but all the time. Ami' there is a broad road leading to a great arch of marble, with open spaces on each side : and there, "amongst the trees, you can walk and sit-in fine weather and listen to bands of music, and open air concerts, in which the most, famous of singers appear,. And then there are the shops! There are miles of them !" - / . - ' -. '■ " Like London, Regent-street?" murmured Bessie, her blue eyes fixed on his dark, sinister ones. - .
Oh, much finer he said, with gentle consideration for her ignorance. " For instance,' there is > one placequite a large place—in which there are 110 other shops than jewellers, jewellers with ( hundreds of thousands of pounds of diamonds and other precious stones displayed in their windows. It is called; the Palais Royal. Then there are the Grand Opera and the theatres. Oh, you have no idea of their number and magnificence ! And there are balls and concerts, to which one can go every day, every night, if one .caves to do so. And one doesn't need to be a very great personage to enjoy all this. You and I, for instanceonly for instance—could join in it all, and* no one ! would think it strange or— dissipated, as [ they would do in England. Life is just one round of gaiety and happiness iii Paris. Ah, dear me! I wish we.were there, Miss [ Bessiel mean, I wish you and I happened I to be there together, that I might show you all the sights and take you to all the places. And then there's the places in Switzerland -Lucerne, for one ; such a beautiful place, beside a lovely lake that is emerald-green one ; moment and sapphire-blue the next, surrounded by great, violet, mountains, some of them snow-capped" ■ - " I should like that," murmured Bessie. In simple truth, she would have liked any of the places he described so eloquently, if she could have seen them in his company. " Yes, I think you would," he said, in his soft, insidious voice. t . " " And there are steamers sailing on the lake ; and you go 011 board with a basket of fruit; and a band is playing ; and you listen to it while you look at the snowy Alps glistening in the sunshine"• .. " And you've been there and seen it. all breathed Bessie, with a delicious awe and admiration of the man who had witnessed such sights and participated in. such delights. "How happy you must have been!": Yes," lie replied, " and, yet, not happy. I always,felt so, lonely and solitary. If I had had someone with me, some sympathetic companion. I'm sure you understand. Bessie?" ? He dropped the "miss ;" and Bessie, noticed it, of collide, and blushed with shy pleasure. " I say if I could have had someone who could have shared it with me—but I feel that you' understand, Bessie." He leant forward, his dark eyes fixed on hers, which suddenly became downcast, as a blush stained her face, a blush of doubtful joy. • "All the pleasure in the world is of no avail if you are doomed to,take it in solitude,"' lie went on. "What one wants, pines for, is a sympathetic companion - . "Hera's father!" (Bessie said, with a kind of gasp, as Mr. Nolly rode into the yard, and at .sight of Mr. Black waved his hand, and, dismounting and giving his horse to the stableman —painfully sober at this 'moment—entered the house. " All, Black, how are ye? Well, Bessie, my gel! Tea ready? . Not quite, eh? That's Mr. Black's- fault, I'll be sworn. Well, get it quick, for I've had a devil of a day—. to me as if every darned Cockney knows' as much about a 'oss as" Is do: Here's this one I bought to-day, wit two splints and touched' in his wind, ; a-fetchin' as much as if he was as sound :as a grand • piano! But never mind! I think I got the best of 'em, after all. An' so I' ought, or else what's the use of bein' brought up to the trade? And how are' yer, Black? , Glad to see ver. . Been liavin' a palaver with Bessie? Well, you couldn't 'ave a nicer or a straighter gel to palaver with, mark that, as they says in the bil-liard-rooms." ? It Wits evident that : Mr. Nolly bad been drinking. , . He was by no means intoxicated,. : the liquor- he had * taken simply having loosened his tongue. "An' how's business?" lie inquired, when, after a clean up, lie- seated himself at the tea-table and reached forward for a slice of his beloved hot buttered toast. Bessie happened to be out of the room and Stracey replied to the point. '"I've seen my friend,", he said. "And lie is willing to take that place of yours '■at Hevdon." , "You don't say!" said .Nolly. -"Well, I'm glad to hear it. . Buy it?". No rent it," said Stracey. "He will take it for a year " I shall want references. Why, dash it. all, I don't even know his name!" remarked Nolly, with. emphasis. "His name is Schmidt," Stracey said, languidly. "Doctor Schmidt. He is a. professor of Hiedelberg "I don't care a d—ii for that!" exclaimed Nolly. "Is lie good for the coin, the rent-?" "Quite good," replied Stracey. "In fact, he had some difficulty in finding English references, so lie gave me a year's rentin advance. And I asked him thirty pounds and got it." . I Nolly leant forward and smacked him on the back. - " Bravo, you he cried. "Thirty pounds! That's what I call business !" Stracey took six five-pound-notes from his pocket and laid them on the table, and Nolly took them up and regarded them with anything but complimentary scrutiny. I " All right, eh?" he asked. j Stracey laughed easily. , "Oh, quite all right," he said. "In I fact, I'll cash one of them as my commis- j sion."
MUfl. \ s, He took some gold from his pocket. Nolly chuckled and' flicked a note across the. table to him. " You are smart, Black!" he -said, with an air of satisfaction. " 1 never thought I should get. rid of that Heyjdon place;" it's the; cruellest spot twixt here and blazes. Here, I'll hand you one of these fivers back for your 'commission.'" Yes, it's the cruellest spot—". i ; -- . Yes. it. is," said Straeey, as he folded the banknote and put it. into his pocketbook. " And you are very lucky to get a tenant foe it.'But I ; ought to tell you that my jfriend',- Doctor Schmidt, makes a condition." "Yes; what is it?" asked Nolly. • "Well, he is terribly afraid lest someone should'spy on him and discover, the secret of the experiments lie is making, and lie makes it a condition of Lis tenancy that you shall leave him in undisturbed possession." s ' " " Eh?" said Nolly, as if lie did not understand ; then he arrived at Straeey', meaning, > and nodded emphatically. ; - , . "Right: you are! You tell him that so long as he pays his rent i shan't interfere -with him;"and 1 don't know who else there is to do it. He can go on making his experiments until he blows himself up 'for all I care. The rent's what I want and so long as lie pays that he can stay till • Doomsday. Hi, Bessie, give Mr. Black some more tea. No more? ';?■/ Then we'll go and sit outside under' the tree and Bessie can join lis. - It's quite like bein' in the country; 1 and it's a good idea, whosoever it. "was, to 'ave our pipes and.our drop of drink in-the open,'' • * ■ , " It was -Mr. Black's,".-said Bessie.- " Indeed, no: it was Miss Bessie's," Mr. Black declared;> and they argued it with much warmth and persistence on both sides. v. ftr; ' ' 1 t ' .■■> '.\ " *'. ,• Stracey remained for some . time ; • and Mr-' Nolly, being in a good •humour, was half inclined to hand over a certain cheque which he knew his young friend most ardently desired; but Nolly was only , half inclined and as Straeey. did not mention it, though NoLly expected him to do so every moment, nothing was said about it. Before he went Mr. Black remarked how pleasant it. would be to pay a. visit to the Zoological Gardens while this fine weather lasted; and when Bessie, with a quick, shy glance, agreed with him, lie said, in his soft., persuasive voice, that, perhaps Miss Bessie would' give him the honour and pleasure of her company some afternoon. Long after he had gone Bessie sat underthe tree, her head leaning against the trunk, her eyes fixed on the Sky, her hands clasped loosely in her lap, all unconscious' that John was watching her sadly, from the ' workshop-loft, unconscious ...of! everything save the vision of an afternoon at the Zoological Gardens with Mr. Black beside her. CHAPTER XVIII. One evening about a week later Ivyra was sitting on the verandah wi|t>h a book in her hand; but the page 1 had not been turned for some time and her eyes had been fixed on the sunset. She was thinking of Straeey's promise to help her to find something to do, some way of earning her own living. Since the afternoon on which he had agreed to her leaving the Elms and going out into the world he had not referred to the subject. but he had been away nearly all the time, and Kyra was hoping that he-was looking out for some employment for her. She would have askedMrs. Froyte, but she knew that Mrs. Froyte would refuse to give her any information, and she shrank from causing" the woman a
repetition of the pain and embarrassment which , she had' shown on a previous occasion, on the occasion when she had, in an unguarded moment, told Kyra that she, Mrs. Froyte, was not Stracey's mother.' ' Mrs. Froyte was sitting beside her, doing some plain needlework; not a word had passed between for some time, and Kyra was so lost in reverie that when Mrs.' Froyte started and looked up, she started also. "What is it?" she asked. : ,"It;is Stracey," said Mrs. Froyte,;in her subdued voice. ■ "I hear 110 one," said Kyra; but a moment or two afterwards he opened the gate and came across the lawn. He had been absent for two days, and it seemed to Kyra that lie. looked somewhat preoccupied if not anxious, though he smiled as suavely as usual, as he greeted them. " How pleasamt it is- here after that beastly Loudon!" lie said, dropping softly into a chair besides Kyra and taking off hi's hat. '. • "Have you had any- dinner?" asked Mrs. Froyte. - ' \ ' " Yes, thanks; but I. should like a cup of coffee, if it . wouldn't be troubling yon too much." - v ' '* When ili> Froyte had left them he turned to Kyra with a smile : • - "Are you still determined to leave us. Kyra?" lie asked. "I am determined to earn my own living, Stracey," she replied; "and to do that I must leave the Elms and go into the. world. I was.going to ask you—.'; , V "I know," he said, with a nod. " [ have seen it in your, face. - I suppose you thought I had forgotten my promise? But I had not. I have been looking out for some employment, for you—that,is what lias taken me to London so often .this week; , and 1 think I have some news for you." '. Kyra turned Jo him, eagerly. .' " 1 am very glad, very grateful " Better wait and see if the thing is good enough," lie said, with a little shrug of his shoulders. " You can't imagine how difficult it is to obtain a- situation any kind of work, nowadays ; ■ (here are so many .applicants and so few vacancies; and the fact that you are, by circumstances, unfitted for most of the berths .which women fill makes it more difficult." .. - ' . " Yes, . I know ; F can quite understand that," said Kyra; "and, therefore, I shall be most grateful for anything, however unsuitable it . may seem to you. I. am not afraid of work I only want enough money to enable me to live." " Oh, it's not as bad as that," said Stracey, grudgingly. 4" Of course, in ray opinion, "it is , not worth your accepting—but it is no use I feel that it would be ; useless to remonstrate with you."; ; At this moment James "Froyte came from the smoking-room, and with a murmured, | "So you're, back. Stracey?" leant against ! fihe wtall, listening , with downcast eyes, . which lie raised,now and again, to glance furtively at Stracey. v ' .... "I was just telling Kyra," he said, " that, I in accordance with my promise, I have been . trying to find her something to do, and that I have succeeded in, obtaining a situation for her— nice word in connection with Kyra!—and I sincerely ho'pii that she will refuse it." " . : !!: : '.-v. „ j "A situation?" echoed .Tames : Froyte, L huskily; v - but Kyra's face lit>. up, and she listened eagerly. < i . : ■ > . "It seemed to me," Stracey went on, -"that the best thing Kvra could do would • be to act as companion to some lady. I'm quite aware-that it is not at all pleasant work, especially if the lady happens to be an invalid and so I've been very careful , in choosing the right person. '.. It would never do to have our beautiful Kyra waiting hand and foot on a hypochondriac, who would make her, life a burden.® But I think I have escaped that calamity." !■" I cannot , afford , to be particular," said Kyra, in a low voice.. As she spoke Mrs. Froyte came out with the coffee, and Kyra looked up at her with a pleased smile. " Stracey lias found me something to do; I am to be a- companion to :i lady." Mrs. Froyte stopped short, and the cup and saucer shook in her hand 1 , so that some of the coffee was spilled;' but she recovered herself ini a moment and givitag the coff»e to Stracey, went and stood beside* her 'chair. ! "I saw an advertisement in the paper," lie said. " Here it- is." He drank some of the " coffee, ' set the cup down, and felt in his breast-pocket.' " No; I've left it in my other coat. It was an advertisement by a lady who is' going 011 the Continent, travelling, and wanted ' a young girl as a companion. I answered the advertisement, made an appointment, and went to see her." Kyra listened■ breathlessly and watched him impatiently as he took up the cup again. "I found her to be a. most charming woman, with nothing of the invalid about her; ill fact, ■ she appeared to me, to be a. most, healthful 5 and . cheerful person-. I gathered that' she was very well off. and. being a widow and childless, was free to indulge her taste for travelling. She would take her own maid with- her, and ; the companion would not . be! required to do anything menial; indeed, Mrs. Malcolm—that is her name—laughingly said that there would be so little for the companion to do that she might, probably suffer from lack of occupation. But, of course, that was only /Mrs. Malcolm's pleasant way of putting it. for oner does not feel dull when one is travelling i about under the most luxurious circumstances." " It sounds almost too good to be true," said Kyra, gravely. He glanced at her in his swift, furtive way;-'and then as, furtively at the other two persons who were listening as intently as Kyra ; hut, they were looking straight before them, as if they were holding their breath in their rapt attention. . " I told Mrs. Malcolm about you and tried to describe von in terms which, to me, of course, were quite inadequate; and 1" showed her your photograph. She was charmed with it—how could she be otherwise?—-and she was anxious that I-should enter into , an engagement for yon there and then, and I was quite disappointed when I, of course, refused to accept the situation until; I. had consulted you." -■ ' • I "Oh, what a pity!" said Kyra. "Why did you,not do so? She may have engaged someone else by this time." " No; she promised not to do so until I wired to ; her. 1 : must, give her your decision to-morrow morning, because she leaves England to-morrow, evening—that is to say," lie corrected himself, "she leaves the following morning ;- ,but' you ! would have to join her to-morrow night. It is absurdly short notice— Without turning her head Sirs. Froyte said :. /•.. ,' " She could not do it." James Ffoyte, as lie heard the words,, drew a breath of relief. V : - V "Oh, but why not?'' said Kvra. eagerly. "I can get ready quite easily by to-morrow. I have all the clothes I want: and, if I had not, I could get them in London or wherever .we are going. Please, please do not hesitate. Is it too late to telegraph tonight?" :;.! ( . Stracey sighed. "I was afraid (hat you would say it was possible," . he said, regretfully. "Well, I have given my promise. . If . you are quite sure, I will wire to-morrow morning-that will be in plenty of timeand you and I can go up by the mid-day train—" : : Mrs. Froyte had risen and picked up the cup and saucer. • They fell from her hand with a crash. James Froyte uttered an exclamation,, and Stracey turned and looked at them with a peculiar* expression- in his eyes. Mrs. Froyte was as white as death and stood trembling, her eyes fixed, -as if in terror. "I must have knocked your arm," said l Stracey. softly..' " Don't trouble to pick up the pieces the maid will do it. How nervous you are; you ought to take iron; there are one or two very good preparations: I, must get you one. As I was saying, Kyra, and I could go tip by the midday train —"* - ~ , " Not alone," said James Froyte and , his wife, in one voice. " Perhaps Mrs. Froyte would be so kind as to come with us," said Kyra. Stracey leant-. back with languid, halfclosed eyes ; there was silence for a moment, then lie looked up and said, as smoothly as usual:/ • Certainly. You will be very pleased, will you not? You have not been quite strong enough for travelling lately; but perhaps Mrs. Malcolm would ask you to stay the night and see them off in "the morning in fact, she seems so kind and considerate a woman that I am sure she. will. Will you go with -us?" •' She stooped and picked up some of the larger fragments of the china, as if mechanically, then her lips formed a silent " Yes," and . she 1 went into the ■" house but James to- still leant against the wall listening
t) Stracey's smooth, suave voice ; and, as he listened, his lips twitched and his hands clutched each other convulsively behind his back. (To be continued.)
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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12016, 12 July 1902, Page 3 (Supplement)
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5,070KYRA'S FATE. New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12016, 12 July 1902, Page 3 (Supplement)
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